Improvement in sewing-machines for uniting the edges of knitted fabrics



ZSheets-Sheetl. PEARSON. SEWING-MACHINES FOR UNI'TIN'G THE vens 0F KNITTED mamas.

No. 172,478. Patented. Jan.18.,1876.

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MPETERS, PMOTG-LITHQGRAPngR, WASHINGTON, 0.0.

ZSheets'Sheet2. W. PEARSON. SEWING-MACHINES FOR UNITIN'G THE EDGES 0F KNITTED FABRICS.

370.172,?78. Patented Jan.18.,1876,

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N. PETERS, PHOTO-LITHOGRAPHER. WASHvNGTO-N, D C.

bearing in the bed of the machine.

UNITED S ATES PATENT OFEIoE.

WILLIAM PEARSON, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIAL IMPROVEMENT IN SEWING-MACHINES FOR UNITI NG THE EDGES 0F KNITTED FABRICS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. [72,478, dated January 18, 1876; application filed October 16, 1875.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM PEARSON, machinist, of the city and county of Philadelphia, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Sewing- Machines for Seaming and Binding over the Edges ofHosiery and other looped fabrics and I do hereby declare the following to be a snfficiently full, clear, andexact description thereof to enable a person skilled in the art to make and use the said invention, reference being had to the drawing .annexed, and forming a part of this-specification, and the letters of reference marked thereon.

The same letters of reference apply to the same parts in the several figures.

The nature of my invention consists in animproved cam for operating the needle-carrying and looping mechanisms; an improved construction of rack-bar for holding and carrying the work; an improved looping mechanism; and an improved device for actuating the needle-carrying mechanism and rack for feeding the Work.

.Figure 1 shows a plan; Fig. 2, a front elevation; Fig. 3,'a leftside elevation. Figs. 4 and 5 show, respectively, in plan and side elevation, detached views of the cam G, for operating the looper and needle arm and needlearm-fulerum bearer. Figs. 6 and 7 respectively show in plan and front elevation the looper; and Fig. 8 shows a vertical transverse section of the rack-bar or carriage, and its Fig. 9 is a detail showing the cam for operating the feed-motion.

A represents the shaft, supported in bearings B B in the standards 0 O. D is a driving-pulley and fly-wheel, provided with a handle or crank-pin, E, to facilitate the turning of it by hand in adjusting the machine. F is a loose grooved pulley running on the shaft A, and serves to support the driving-band when not driving the machine. Gis acam securely fastened on the shaft A, and having a groove, G, cut in the left side, and a groove, G out in the cylindrio face, and projection G The grooves G and G are symmetricalthatis to say, they are each of the same form, repeated, and produce the same motions twice during one rotation of the cam. H is a bent lever, mounted upon conieally-pointed screws I in the frame 0 O, and provided with a setscrew, H, resting on the part of the cam G in the plane of motion of the projection G and when the screw H is adjusted to, touch the cam G the lever H rises and falls once during each rotation of the cam G. The front end of the lever H is forked, and provided with comically-pointed screws K bearing the needle-arm K. The needle-arm K is provided with acurved eye-pointed needle, K which is held in the aperture K by a set-screw, K. A reciprocating motion is imparted to the n eedlearm K by a connecti n g-rod, K attached at its rear end to a lever, K supported on a fulcrum, K on the frame 0, and having a roller engaging in the groove G of the cam G, from which it receives its motion.

In consequence of the groove G in the cam G, the needle-arm K will, through the rod K and lever K make two double strokes for each revolution of the shaft A, and as the fulcrum-bearing lever H rises and falls once only during each rotation of the shaft, when the screw H rests on the cam G the needle K will pass back and forth at each alternate stitch in a higher andlower plane. A groove or guide, L, is formed in the bed M of the machine, open at both ends, in which a bar, N, (shown in section in Fig. 8,) is fitted, so that it may slide through, preferably, from right to left, as in Figs. 1 and 2.

Teeth N are cut in the bar at regular intervals, and equidistant notches N are so made in the edge of the bar N that the distances between the notches N exactly coincide with the distances between the rack-teeth N Bent teeth N grooved on their upper surface, are inserted in the notches N and are held and clamped there by a plate, N correspondingly grooved in the upper and inner surfaces, and attached to the bar N by screws N. The bar N is moved or fed from right to left by a pawl, O, engaging in the teeth N and operated by a lever, 0 moved by a cam, 0 on the shaft A. The cam O is formed with recesses, in which are fitted blocks 0 held therein by screws OZpassing through slotted holes into the cam 0 The blocks 0 can be adjusted so that the motion of the lever O and pawlO may be changed to suit rack-teeth of diflerent distances, and by so adjusting one of the blocks 0 the cam 0 may be caused to make only one motion of the lever O and pawl O at each rotation of the shaft A, so

- hinged latch, P which turns at each alternate loop back and forth, so as to open or -close the hook]? and permit alternate loops to pass over each loop that is in the hook P".

A cam, P being placedon the lever 1, guides the loops up and down alternately as the needle rises and falls at each alternate stitch. The looper is inserted in the end of a vibrating lever, P

and held therein'by a set-screw, P being adjustable horizontally and radially to its tang therein.

and derives motion laterally from a roll, P fixed upon it, and engaging'in the groove G The lever P turns on a fulcrum, P

of. the cam Gr. Thread for the sewing-needle is passed through a tension-clamp, T, from a ball or spool, down-to-the eye of thencedle K The operation of the machine is as follows: The loops which form the edges of the fabrics to be united are placed in pairs on the points N and successively pass under the needle by the action of the cam 0 lever 0 and pawl O, engaging in the teeth N of the rack N. The feeding motion is intermittent, and when closing up seams should preferabl move but once to each rotation of the shaft A. During one half-rotation of the shaft A, when the bar N is at rest, the needle K passesa loop of thread above the loops of the fabric on the point N which loop of the sewing-thread, being caught by the looper P, is held in the hook P after the withdrawal of the needle, and during the next half-rotation of the shaft A, the needle-arm fulcrum being lowered by the projection G of the cam G passing from under the screw H, a loop of the sewingthread is passed through the loops of the fabric to be united and over the loop, then in the hook of the looper by the combined action of the cam or guide P and latch P thus making a chain-stitch whose loops alternately engage in those of the edges of the looped fabric, forming a seam identical in construction with that generally practiced in uniting looped fabrics by a crochet-needle, and of an elasticity similar to that of the fabric itself.

When the machine is to be used to bind :over the edge of the fabric, the screw H is retracted, and the blocks 0 on the cam are so adjusted that thebar N is fed along one tooth at each half-revolution, so that a chainstitch is produced, which at each loop engages in a loop of the edge of the knitted fabric. What I claim as my invention is 1. The cam Gr, having. the grooves G and G, combined with the looper and needle operating mechanism, substantially as set forth.

2. The rack-bar N, combined with the points N and plates N constructed to clamp said points, as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The combination of the hooked looper P,

having the latch P andguide l? of the needle K and actuating mechanisms, substantially as described and shown.

4. The adjustable cam 0 lever 0 pawlO, and rack N, combined with the, double cam WILLIAM PEARSON.

Witnesses:

ANDW. J. BoswELL, ARTHUR BOSWELL. 

